40 Acres gets world sales deal at TIFF amid claims some businesses not paid since Sudbury filming ended

The world sales rights to a Canadian feature film shot in Sudbury, Ont., have been sold on the heels of its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), but it also faces claims by two unions and many vendors that there are outstanding payment debts, nearly a year after production ended.

In a joint letter to TIFF dated Tuesday, Sept. 10, ACTRA and the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) say they're "profoundly disappointed" that the festival is showcasing 40 Acres "while there are significant outstanding payments to employees and vendors." 

It's estimated members of the unions are owed "thousands of dollars" while "vendors are owed substantially more," the statement says. 

Shot in and around Sudbury last autumn, 40 Acres is a post-apocalyptic feature film by 4T Productions Inc. about a mixed Black-Indigenous family fighting to protect their land against an organized militia. In the lead-up to its filming, there were prospects for jobs, economic spinoffs and a chance for those in the northern Ontario film industry to shine, with help from a taxpayer-funded budget in the millions. 

But 40 Acres later faced cost overruns, and some businesses and people — from international companies to small local vendors  — say they have yet to be compensated.  

Among those saying they haven't been paid is Sudbury auctioneer Jean-Marc Lacasse. He said he's owed almost $3,000 for the rental of antique furniture and other items the company used to dress the set and establish a tone during filming in September and October 2023.

Everything from leaded glass to antique quilts, butter boxes, a child's wicker rocker, a cherrywood cupboard and more were handpicked to illustrate the film's fictional world in convincing detail.

It was Lacasse's first time dealing with a film production. Eleven months later, left holding an unpaid invoice, he said he's soured on the experience. 

"Never would I rent again, never," he said. "That's crazy. I think things came back broken. Some things went missing. And, 'Don't worry, we'll take care of you.' Well, yeah, it's easy to say that, but then you don't get taken care of."

Lacasse said he and his wife Brenda sent followup emails requesting payment. After the first, in November 2023, they received a response from Jennifer Holness, the film's producer and president of 4T Productions Inc., indicating the film had gone $2,000,000 over budget, which she said was "beyond our control."  

The email indicated the production company was looking for additional funding, which could take a year.  

"I am deeply sorry this has happened and thank you for your kind patience," wrote Holness.

In January 2024, Lacasse inquired again. The production email address was no longer "being checked" and he was told, "'We regret to inform you that at this time we have to put a hold on any payments until further notice.'"

"Being retired now, is even worse," Lacasse told CBC. "I mean, I don't have a regular paycheque, so it hurts even more — even if it's just $3,000 or whatever, you feel used."